Toy steering wheel and seat



March 15, 1955 L. SOLOMON TOY STEERING WHEEL AND SEAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1953 INVENTOR. 405456 5020777072 BY K k /au q w W March 15, 1955 L. SOLOMON 2,704,110

TOY STEERING WHEEL AND SEAT Filed Jan. 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IVENTOR. Zozas 50Z0227022 TOY STEERING WHEEL AND SEAT Louis Solomon, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 27, 1953, Serial No. 333,447

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-11) Among the objects of my invention is to provide a toy removably attachable to the seat of an automobile providing an elevated safe seat for a child and a wheel to simulate the steering of the automobile, without danger to the car or the user of the toy.

A child greatly enjoys imitating the movements of his father in driving an automobile. It is always a great temptation for the child to take hold of the steering wheel and thus possibly cause injury and damage. With my device the child may copy the movements of his father or other driver in both steering the car and in shifting of the gears. This will satisfy the childs desire for play, and at the same time afford him instruction, to some degree, in driving.

My toy is also adapted to be attached to other objects such as a chair and the seat may be detached and a suction cup applied to one end of the post of my toy, so that it may be attached to any flat surface.

My invention also contemplates such other objects, advantages and capabilities which will later more fully appear, and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the attached drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. l is a face view of my steering wheel; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partially broken away; Fig. 3 is an inside view of the hub; Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view of the wheel and connection; Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the wheel and seat assembled; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the seat frame; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the seat assembled; Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the fabric seat portion and Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view of the assembled seat and wheel.

Referring more now to the embodiments selected to illustrate my invention, I provide a steering wheel 10, circular in shape and having spaced spokes 11. The hub 12 has a lower reduced portion 13 with an open bottom 14 to removably receive the upper end of post 15, which is hollow and of rubber or the like. The lower end of post 15 is removably fitted in opening 16 of upper portion 17 of suction cup 18 In place of suction cup 18, I may provide any other suitable means for removably attaching the lower portion of my toy to a support such as the instrument panel of an automobile, or the like.

Hub 12, preferably made of plastic, is hollow with side walls 19, a bottom floor 20 and an open top 21. Lower portion 13 which is integral with hub 12 has closed side walls 22, a closed top which is the underside of bottom floor 20 of hub 12, and open bottom 14. A metal fitting 23 has a closed top 24, closed side walls 25 and an open bottom 26 and is of such a size as to be pressed into lower portion 13 and remain in contact therewith, with its top 24 contacting the under surface of floor 20 and its side walls 25 in friction grip with side walls 22 of lower portion 13.

A sound producing member 45 comprising a rounded bellows 46 with a reed 47 has its flat bottom positioned in the hub 12. A button 48 having a rounded dome portion 49 and a peripheral flange 50 is positioned on top of bellows 46. A cold rolled steel ring 51 having side walls 52 and a top inward flange 53 is pressed into hub 12 with its side walls in friction grip with side walls 19 of hub 12. Flange 53 of ring 51 is positioned above flange of button 48, and prevents its displacement and loss and that of bellows 46 and plate 41. This insures that the child will not accidentally knock off the horn button as has been heretofore possible. This solves the problem of the child endeavoring and often failing to get the horn button back in place and losing the same as well as the bellows, with consequent frustration of spirit and the destruction of that part of his or her toy.

With my improved metal fitting 23 having smooth inner side walls, the wheel may freely rotate on the post. There is no binding as heretofore with slow laborious turning of the wheel and twisting of the post and even the suction cup. Frustration of the child in this feature is now eliminated and actual turning of the wheel as in real driving is more closely approximated for the childs education and. entertainment.

In operation of the toy the child may turn the steering wheel to simulate steering motions, and may move the gear shift lever to simulate the speeds of an automobile, motor boat, or the like, and touch the horn button to warn traffic.

My toy as hereinbefore described is without its own seat. To provide a seat for my toy, the suction cup 18 is removed from post 15, and a metal tube 54 is inserted within this end of post 15. The inner end of tube 54 is bent to follow the curve of post 15, and at its outer end, which projects beyond post 15, is flattened. Tube 54 is removable from post 15 and is held in position within post 15 by friction contact. A cap 55, of metal or other suitable material is removably attached to the other end of post 15. A collar 56 preferably of metal or the like is rotatably attached by pin 57 to cap 55. Collar 56 is substantially at right angles to cap 55, and pin 57 extends through a side wall of cap and the closed bottom of collar 56.

My seat 58 has a metal frame 59 with a bottom rail 60 with integral spaced upright portions 61 and 62 A pair of spaced upwardly extending arms 63 and 64- are pivotally attached at their lower portions to uprights 61 and 62 respectively. A back reinforcing strap 65 is attached to uprights 61 and 62. A horizontal member 66 has spaced side portions 67 and 68, the inner ends of which are attached to strap 65. An integral front por tion 69 of horizontal member 66 joins portions 67 and 68.

A bracket 70 is removably attached at one end to bottom rail 60 and front portion 69. Adjacent the upper portion of bracket 70, a rounded guide member 71 is attached to said bracket. Below said member 71, a holding member 72 is attached to bracket 70, and has a diagonally upwardly projecting tongue 73.

A cover 74 of fabric, leather or other suitable material has a short doubled under front portion for engaging and covering front portion of horizontal member 66. The cover extends rearwardly, covering side portions 67 and 68, and the back of strap 65 on which it is doubled forward with spaced eyelets 75 removably engaging nubs 76 and 77 in the front wall of strap 65.

The inner end of post 15 extends through reinforced opening 78 in the top of cover 74, and through guide 71 until the flattened front portion of tube 54 'is secured by tongue 73. i

The other end of post 15 having cap 55 is removably attached to wheel 10, by inserting collar 56 into metal fitting 23 of hub 12, wherein it is held by friction grip.

The rail 60 may be positioned on the seat of an automobile, and uprights 61 and 62, which have curved holding end portions may be placed to engage the back of the seat of the automobile. The child sitting on the seat is elevated for perfect vision, and may operate the wheel to simulate the driver of the car.

Suitable side rails and/or straps may be provided for the seat for further holding the child in position thereon.

Having thus described my invention, I claim;

1. A toy comprising a seat frame, a bottom rail attached to said frame, a cover attached to said frame forming a childs seat, a pair of upright arms attached to said frame and adapted to removably engage the back of an automobile seat and said bottom rail adapted to rest on woman the automobile seat, a clamp attached to said rail and said frame and extending therebetween, said cover having an opening, a hollow post extending through said opening and mounted on one end to said clamp and immediately removable therefrom, said post extending upwardly and outwardly from the seat, a wheel rotatably and removably attached to the other end of said post.

2. A toy comprising a childs seat adapted to be removably attached to the seat of an automobile, a clamp attached to said seat, a hollow resilient post, a tube held within said post and immediately removable therefrom, said tube extending beyond one end of said post, said tube removably engaging said clamp, a cap attached '4 to the other end of said post, a collar rotatably attached at right angles to said cap, and a wheel removably attached to said collar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 147,884 Bitter Nov. 18, 1947 D. 167,287 Smith July 15, 1952 1,704,346 Schneider Mar. 5, 1929 1,750,435 Silver Mar. 11, 1930 2,128,435 Shippee et al. Aug. 30, 1938 2,322,403 Van Der Kieft June 22, 1943 

